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Improving road safety outcomes
Our previous road safety strategy was Safer Journeys, which had made some progress but was not implemented as intended. Although it was based on a sound approach and compelling evidence, it did not have sufficient buy-in, investment, leadership and accountability to achieve a significant reduction in deaths and injuries. Based on this, in April 2018 we began working with our transport partners on the Road to Zero road safety strategy to support a significant and sustained improvement in road safety outcomes.
From October 2018 to April 2019 we had conversations across the sector and the country to hear views and perspectives. We reviewed research, overseas best practice and developed a better understanding of New Zealand’s unique challenges. We also held workshops and meetings around the country to better understand the issues and opportunities in different regions. In August 2019 we released the Road to Zero consultation document and received feedback from over 1,000 submitters about our proposals. In December 2019 we published the Road to Zero strategy and the initial 3-year action plan.
Why road safety is a priority
In 2018, 377 people were killed on our roads, and thousands more were seriously injured. On average 1 person is killed every day and another is injured every hour.
New Zealand’s road death rate is 7.9 per 100,000 population, whereas countries with good safety performances have rates between 2 and 4 per 100,000 population. Australia’s current rate is 5.0 deaths per 100,000 population and Sweden’s is 2.6.
In addition, deaths on New Zealand roads are increasing. Some of the increase is due to more vehicles on the roads and motorcycle crashes, but about a third of the increase is difficult to explain. We know speed, impairment, distraction and not wearing seatbelts remain major factors in road deaths and injuries. But we also need to look at the broader road system and build a road network that acknowledges that humans make mistakes and that we are physically vulnerable on roads.
Vision Zero
Road to Zero is based on Vision Zero, a world-leading approach that refers to a societal commitment to work towards zero harm on the road. First launched in Sweden in 1997, it has been adopted by places like Norway, New York and London.
Under the Vision Zero philosophy, no loss of life is acceptable. It is based on the fact that we are human and make mistakes so, while the road system needs to keep us moving, it must also be designed to protect us.
Vision Zero is framed as ‘Towards Zero’ in some jurisdictions, such as Victoria and New South Wales in Australia, as well as Canada and the European Union. A number of New Zealand cities and regions, including Auckland, Waikato, Otago and Southland, have adopted Vision Zero approaches.
How we can achieve no deaths and serious injuries on our roads
Our Road to Zero vision is ‘a New Zealand where no one is killed or seriously injured in road crashes’. It is based on Vision Zero.
Adopting this vision means no longer viewing the deaths on our roads as a ‘toll’ we’re prepared to pay for mobility. Systems cannot be designed to prevent every crash. But they can, and should, keep people alive when crashes happen.
Loss of life is not considered to be an inevitable and acceptable part of the aviation and maritime sectors. Vision Zero applies that same expectation to the road system.
We recognise that zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads may not be achievable in the next 10 to 20 years. But adopting this vision means taking meaningful and sustained steps to reducing road trauma.
How we decided on a target to reduce death and serious injuries
The target to reduce road user death and serious injuries by 40% by 2030 resulted from modelling of a substantial programme of road safety improvements over the next 10 years. The modelling is based on robust international evidence on how effective some interventions are.
The modelling shows that the best gains can be achieved by sustained investment in infrastructure improvements and effective enforcement, alongside safer speeds, safer vehicles, and deterring high-risk behaviours.
The model also takes into account a potential shift in modes of transport resulting from government investment in public transport and rail infrastructure, and also tries to anticipate potential technologies that might develop over the next 10 years.
Other countries that have adopted Vision Zero have typically aimed for reductions of between 40% and 60% in every 10-year period.
How we plan to achieve the 40% target
Modelling suggests that just over half the target could be achieved through a combination of infrastructure improvements, such as:
- median barriers and intersection treatments
- speed limit changes in urban areas and on the highest risk parts of the road network, and
- increased levels of enforcement, both by safety cameras and police officers.
These changes require substantial investment in road safety over the next decade.
Up to a further 25% could be achieved by lifting the safety performance of the vehicle fleet and mandating ABS for motorcycles.
The remaining 25% could be achieved by a combination of other interventions, such as improvements to driver licensing and increases to penalties for safety offences, as well as broader factors, such increased uptake of public transport and changes in vehicle technology.
What it will cost to deliver the 40% target
The modelling says that to achieve the target, the Government will need to increase current spend by 25%, an increase of NZD$200 million to NZ$1 billion per annum.
This will deliver:
- infrastructure improvements on roads with the highest concentration of deaths and serious injuries including:
- 1,000km of additional median barriers
- more than 1700km of other safety treatments including side barriers and rumble strips
- more than 1500 intersection improvements such as roundabouts and platform treatments
- maintaining current levels of road policing, plus breathalysers, vehicles and alcohol interlocks
- new roadside drug testing equipment
- measures to support the Tackling Unsafe Speeds package, including more safety cameras, improving roads to support existing speed limits and to facilitate speed changes around schools, and speed signage.
Half of the extra $200m will be spent on infrastructure and road engineering, and the other half will pay for enforcement, including testing equipment for drugs.